When Daniel, Sarah, and their son, Derril, move to a new city, they take some time to readjust to the new place. One positive about the move is that Derril’s school focuses on soccer, his favorite sport. Soon after, things get strange when the little boy notices his soccer coach hugging his mom…
Recently, our lives changed when my wife, Sarah, landed a promising new job. It meant uprooting our lives and moving to a new city, but we were optimistic about the future.
A woman in a business suit holding paperwork | Source: Midjourney
“We need this, Daniel,” Sarah said. “We need to plan for our future, and we also need a new start. Living here has become stale.”
“I agree,” I said. “And we need a better life for Derril.”
Our seven-year-old son, Derril, was especially excited about the move because we enrolled him in a school with a soccer club, which was the one sport that he absolutely loved.
A smiling little boy | Source: Midjourney
Sarah and I were thrilled to see him so passionate about something, especially because we knew that moving would be a big adjustment for him.
“I’m happy about the move, Dad,” he told me one day when we were buying him a new pair of soccer boots. “My old school only cared about baseball and basketball, but soccer wasn’t important.”
“I’m glad that you’re happy about this,” I told him. “I want you to be happy with this move, too. We’re not just doing it because of Mom’s new job.”
A row of children’s soccer boots in a store | Source: Midjourney
He nodded enthusiastically.
A few months passed, and I had finally gotten into the routine of working from home. Thankfully, my career in cybersecurity meant that I could keep working at the same company following the move.
But, over time, I noticed a change in my son.
A man working on his laptop | Source: Midjourney
One day, he came home from school looking troubled, his usual enthusiasm dampened. His bright eyes seemed to lose their sparkle, and he became quieter and more withdrawn.
Whenever I tried to talk to him, he would just walk away, retreating into silence.
It was unlike Derril, and it worried me.
An upset little boy | Source: Midjourney
“Something is going on with him,” I told Sarah when I was making breakfast for the three of us before the day began.
“I know,” she nodded. “I’ve been seeing that, too. Whenever I try to talk to him, he looks at me for a moment before looking away.”
“Maybe it’s just part of adjusting to a new place? And making new friends, too? Because he’s still eating and sleeping as normal. So, until that changes, I think we’re okay,” I said.
A man in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney
But then the tipping point came one day when I walked into his room after school and found him crying.
Just looking at him devastated me.
“Derril, what’s wrong?” I asked gently, sitting beside him on the bed. “I need you to tell me everything. Enough time has passed, and I know you’re not okay.”
A crying little boy | Source: Midjourney
He looked up at me, tears brimming in his eyes, and took a deep, shaky breath.
“I don’t want Mr. Sanders to be my father!” he blurted out.
The words hit me like a punch to the gut.
Mr. Sanders was his new soccer coach, and he was someone whom Derril had admired up until now.
A soccer coach holding a tablet | Source: Midjourney
“Why would he become your father, Derril?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady and calm.
My son’s voice wavered as he explained.
“Yesterday, when Mom was picking me up from practice, he hugged her. And she didn’t push him away!”
Children playing soccer | Source: Midjourney
A cold sweat broke out on my forehead.
Sarah had been distant lately, but I always chalked it up to her being busy with her new job. I knew that it was going to be a rocky few months while we all adjusted. But at the same time, she seemed preoccupied, often lost in thought.
This, however, was something I couldn’t ignore.
A close-up of a shocked man | Source: Midjourney
Determined to uncover the truth, I logged off work early the next day and drove to the soccer field. Sarah usually fetched Derril from practice on her way home.
I parked far enough away to watch without being seen. I needed to know what was happening. I needed to know if Sarah and Mr. Sanders were romantically involved with each other.
As practice ended and the kids dispersed, I saw Sarah arrive. Moments later, Mr. Sanders approached her. They talked briefly, and then he placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in close.
A man sitting in his car | Source: Midjourney
“They look way too comfortable,” I muttered to myself.
I watched as Sarah smiled but stepped back, looking around nervously, her eyes scanning the area as if she felt someone was watching.
“Yes, someone is watching,” I said to the car.
A woman standing outside while at soccer practice | Source: Midjourney
That night, I confronted my wife. I couldn’t take it any longer. I had made dinner and sat through the entire meal with doubts flooding my mind.
“Sarah, what’s going on with you and Mr. Sanders?” I asked straightforwardly.
Her face turned pale, and she took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly.
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
“There’s nothing going on, Daniel,” she said. “I swear! He’s just been supportive, that’s all!”
“Supportive how? Derril thinks that he’s trying to replace me,” I pressed on. “I need to know why.”
Sarah’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
A frowning man | Source: Midjourney
“What? No! That’s not true! He’s been helping me with something else… something that I haven’t told you about yet.”
She sat me down, her voice trembling as she revealed a secret she’d been keeping.
“I can’t believe this,” I exclaimed, wondering why on earth I agreed to the move.
A couple talking | Source: Midjourney
Apparently, Mr. Sanders had recognized a man from his past. A man who had ran in the same circles as him when he was off the rails and took part in unscrupulous activities.
“And not just any man, Daniel,” Sarah said. “He’s dangerous. And he has a history of stalking and violence. Mr. Sanders said that he has been keeping an eye on him, and he noticed that the man has been stalking me.”
“What?! Why didn’t you tell me? This is something for the police to handle!”
A man hiding in the shadows | Source: Midjourney
But my wife shook her head.
“Mr. Sanders has been trying to keep Derril and me safe. Because he noticed the man watching me during a few practice sessions.”
I put my head in my hands. Suddenly, the world felt too heavy for me. What dramatic television show had our lives become?
A man holding his head | Source: Midjourney
“Mr. Sanders suggested not pushing him away too obviously to avoid raising suspicion. I should have told you, honey, I’m so sorry.”
“We need to speak to him,” I said. “To Mr. Sanders. I need to hear this from him.”
Sarah nodded, her eyes shining with tears.
When we met with him, he corroborated Sarah’s account, showing us evidence of the man’s criminal activities.
A couple talking | Source: Midjourney
“I’ve spoken to one of my detective friends,” he said. “They can’t do anything about this guy until something actually happens. So, I’ve been trying to keep an eye on Sarah and Derril. And the house.”
I had no idea what to say.
A close-up of a man | Source: Midjourney
That night, Sarah and I sat down in the living room, trying to discuss the next steps and how to secure our home. Moments later, Derril burst into our room, his face frozen in shock.
“There’s someone outside my window!” he shrieked.
“Phone the police,” I told Sarah.
A person looking out of a room window | Source: Midjourney
I rushed to his room, picking up the baseball bat that we displayed in the hallway. And sure enough, a shadowy figure was lurking near the tree not too far from Derril’s window.
Moments later, we heard sirens and saw the flashing lights of police cars. They arrived swiftly, surrounding the house and apprehending the man.
The officers confirmed that the lurker was indeed the man that Mr. Sanders had warned us about, and now, because he was caught, he was taken into custody.
Two police officers | Source: Midjourney
“I’m so sorry for the confusion or distress I caused,” Mr. Sanders said when he visited us the next day.
He brought a box of pastries that Derril dug into immediately.
“The thing is, I know his type. When I met him before, he would find a young successful woman and fixate on her. When I saw him at soccer practice, I knew that he was after Sarah.
A box of desserts | Source: Midjourney
“How do you know him?” I asked.
“I had a rough past, too,” Mr. Sanders said. “But I just got caught up with the wrong crowd. I didn’t do anything to this extent.”
We thanked Mr. Sanders for his help, and he left our home.
A man walking down a driveway | Source: Midjourney
Now that the threat was removed, Sarah and Derril seemed perfectly fine. But I still didn’t feel good about this. As grateful as I was to Mr. Sanders, there was something that just didn’t feel right about anything.
I wanted to leave. I didn’t feel safe. I didn’t want to stay here. I didn’t want my wife and child around Mr. Sanders.
A man looking out a window | Source: Midjourney
3 Stories of People Who Became Homeless During Hard Times
“That’s the problem, Amber!” he retorted. “I’m tired of all the responsibilities. I need time for myself. I’ve found someone who gets what I’m going through!”
That night, as he walked out, I just fell apart. Once Louis was gone, reality hit me hard. I struggled to find a job while taking care of Allen alone.
Two weeks later, our landlady evicted us as I couldn’t pay the rent, and Social Services took Allen.
That night, I was homeless and heartbroken. My baby, my child, was taken away from me.
I sold everything I had, including my phone, and that kept me going for a while. Then, the money ran out.
One evening, out in the cold, I remembered my dad’s warnings about Louis. “He’s not right for you,” Dad had said. I wish I’d listened. Desperate to reconnect with him, I decided to buy a phone to call him.I knew that if I borrowed a phone to call him, maybe he wouldn’t pick up the first time or even the second. But I’d have to keep trying….
I starved myself for a week to save enough to buy a second-hand phone. My tears didn’t stop when I dialed Dad’s number.
“Hello?” he asked.
“It’s… Amber, Dad,” I sobbed into the phone.
“Amber, sweetheart! Is that you? Oh God! How are things going?”
“I need your help, dad!”
“Is-Is everything okay?”
“Just come as soon as possible, Dad!” I said.
He arrived quickly. In a hotel room, I poured out my heart about the betrayal and my days on the streets. Dad comforted me.
The next day, Dad and I went to the orphanage to start the paperwork to bring Allen home. Once everything was finalized, Dad took Allen and me to New York.
He also hired a private detective to find out where Louis was. It turned out Louis had been cheating on me with his boss’s daughter.
When his boss found out the truth — that Louis was married and had abandoned his family — he fired him. Louis ended up living on the streets. It felt like justice was done.
Back home, with my dad and Allen, I felt stronger. Life had knocked me down but taught me resilience. And with Dad’s support, I knew we could face anything ahead.
Coming up next is Brandon’s story, a homeless man and father of 3 living in a tent. One day, he decided to help a stranger, ignoring his own needs, and his life was never the same again.
2. Brandon: I Gave My Last $2 to a Stranger at a Gas Station, the Next Day I Inherited His Company
Four months on the streets with my three kids taught me a lot about life’s harshness and the small acts of kindness that can keep hope alive.
We lived in a tent near a gas station, a makeshift home barely shielding us from the cold. It was tough, but we managed to find moments of joy, making the best of it.
One chilly morning, as I counted the few coins I had left, I decided to head into the gas station to buy a can of beans — our planned dinner for the evening.
Inside, I stumbled upon a scene that jolted my heart. An elderly man stood at the counter, confusion written all over his face.
“I’m sorry, young lady, what did you say about the water being funny?” he asked.
“I said you don’t have enough money, sir!” the cashier snapped.
“Yes, it is a sunny day!” he replied.
Suddenly, some young man in line grabbed the elderly man, yelling, “You need more cash!”
Watching this, my heart sank. The elderly man just wanted a bottle of water to take his pills, but his request for an affordable bottle was met with hostility. “If you can’t afford to pay, you’ll have to go!” the cashier shouted.
I couldn’t stand idly by. Stepping forward, I emptied my cup of change onto the counter. “Have a heart, lady,” I said, deciding to pay for the man’s water.
The cashier counted the money with distaste. “That’ll cover it,” she muttered. I left the can of beans and handed the water to the elderly man.
“Here you go, sir,” I spoke clearly, making sure he could read my lips.
“Why did you help me when you needed the money?” he asked me as we left the store, noticing my tent with kids nearby.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being homeless, it’s that the world works when people are kind to each other,” I explained.
“But what are your kids going to eat?” he questioned.
“There’s a chance I’ll find some scraps at the fast food joint across the street,” I assured him.
The next morning, two jeeps parked near our tent, and a man in a fancy suit stepped out.
“Mr. Grives’ last wish was for me to deliver this to you,” he said. There was a letter offering me the inheritance of his business.
“Is it a joke?” I asked in shock.
The man handed me legal documents. With a mix of apprehension and hope, I signed the papers. This could be the break my children and I needed, a chance to escape the streets.
We were driven to a huge mansion. “Can we put up a tent under that tree with pink flowers?” my youngest, Derrick, asked innocently.
“We’re going to live inside that house, silly! Right, Dad?” my daughter Kelly chimed in.
As I nodded, the reality of our new life began to sink in. Yet, the moment I opened the doors, something was wrong. The house was in disarray — someone had been there.
“We’ve examined the entire perimeter of the house and found no sign of forced entry, sir,” the officer reported after I called 911.
That evening, I got an anonymous call. In a robotic yet menacing tone, the voice told me I had 24 hours to decline all that Mr. Grives’ left me, leave the house, or else I would lose everything I love.
The mansion came with Mr. Grives’ loyal staff, and one of them warned me that this could be the doing of Mr. Grives’ eldest son, Christopher. I resolved to go to the cops in the morning.
But in the morning, my kids were vanished! Although the clever perpetrator had managed to hide his face from most of the CCTVs in and around the house, there was one he didn’t know about.
Mr. Grives’ staff watched in horror as they recognized the leader of three thugs drugging my children. It was Christopher.
From there on, the cops put everyone on the task of tracking Christopher, and didn’t rest until later that afternoon, when Christopher were spotted on the border of the state with my kids in the back of an old van.
Christopher was arrested, and my children were safe. But their fear had set in deep, and I had a choice to make: to heal and embrace the gift that kind soul left us, or to walk away, rebuilding from the start.
“Daddy, are we going to leave our home again?” Kelly’s question broke my heart.
I wrapped my arms around them. “We’re going to be okay. You want to know why?”
“IBecause the most valuable thing we have is right here, in my arms. So long as we stick together, we’ll always be rich in the most important way: love.”
While Brandon was blessed with children who understand the value of kindness and love, Mr. Greg wasn’t. Coming up next is his story.
3. Mr. Greg: My Teen Daughter Humiliated the Homeless, I Had to Teach Her a Lesson
I always thought I was doing right things for my daughter, Jane. I made sure she had everything she needed, but I missed teaching her something crucial — compassion for others. This hit me hard a few days ago when I lost my wallet.
After a fruitless search, I returned home to find Jane mocking a homeless man and his daughter at our doorstep. The shock set in when the man handed me my wallet, untouched. I was moved by that man’s gesture.
But Jane dismissively called them “trash,” and spoke to them with so much disgust…it broke my heart. I knew I had to fix this.
That evening, I invited the man, Mark, and his daughter for dinner. It was my chance to teach Jane about generosity.
“Dad, check the money! He probably stole it!” Jane said as I checked my wallet. Everything was there.
“All the money is here, sweetie. You’re mistaken,” I told her.
Seeing Mark’s and Lolita’s discomfort, I invited them to stay for dinner.
“Why don’t you guys join us?” I said. “It’s the least I can do to thank you.”
During dinner, Jane gave them paper plates instead of proper dishes.
“Why not use the nice dishes I got you for your birthday?” I suggested.
As we ate, I encouraged Mark to share his story, but Jane kept interrupting with rude comments. Eventually, I lost my patience.
“Shut your mouth, Jane!” I snapped. “You don’t know nothing. Misfortune could strike anyone.”
I then revealed a painful truth to Jane. “It’s my fault. I worked too much, especially after your mother passed. We were the same once,” I confessed. “Do you remember our ‘camping trips’? We were actually homeless.”
Jane was stunned. “How did we get back on our feet?”
“A kind man gave me a job. That changed our lives,” I said with a sigh.
Then, I looked at Mark. “And now, it’s my turn to pay it forward,” I told him.
Mark nodded. “All I did was what a decent human should do,” he said.
“I had no idea, Dad. I’m sorry,” Jane said after a pause.
“It’s okay, honey. It’s not too late to learn from this,” I told her.
When it was time for Mark and Lolita to go, I suggested, “Why don’t you both stay the night? We have plenty of room, and it’s getting late.”
Mark hesitated, then gratefully accepted. “Thank you, Greg. This means a lot.”
But I knew I wasn’t done helping them. Offering them a night’s shelter would not alleviate their problems. So I made a decision.
A little kindness costs nothing, guys, and I was ready to make sure that little Lolita and her dad had a good life.
The next day, I offered Mark a job as a driver and arranged a temporary home for them. “And I’ll help you until you’re back on your feet,” I promised.
“Oh, Really?” Mark gasped. “Nobody is this kind nowadays! I won’t let you down, sir,” Mark told me in tears. “Thank you so much!”
The smile on Lolita’s face that day made me realize I’d done the right thing. As for Jane…my Janie changed. She became a better person, and I’m so glad for that.
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